1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a structural improvement of a connector for connecting a resinous tube or a metallic pipe (hereinafter simply referred to as a pipe having a relatively small diameter less than approximately 20 m/m, the pipe being arranged as a supply passageway for supplying the air and oil generally to an automobile or a variety of machineries, equipments and so forth.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This type of conventional connector for connecting the pipe is constructed in the following manner. As illustrated in FIG. 4, a connector body (21) includes a stepped enlarged-diameter chamber (22) and a small diameter chamber which are so formed in an interior of an axial core thereof as to communicate with a communication bore formed in a top part. The connector body (21) also has a retaining wall (21') provided along a peripheral wall portion at a rear end. Mounted in the enlarged-diameter chamber (22) of the connector body (21) is a socket member (23) having a cylindrical proximal part and pawl walls (23' and 23") protruded obliquely forwards on portions standing vis-a-vis with each other on the side of the top part. Substantially proximal parts of the pawl walls are securely fitted in o retaining holes (22' and 22") defined as slots perforated in the peripheral wall of the enlarged-diameter chamber (22) of the connector body (21). A swollen wall provided on the connecting side of a pipe (P') is incorporated in an interior of the enlarged-diameter chamber (22) so that the tops of the pawl walls (23' and 23") resiliently engage therewith, thus connecting the pipe.
In the prior art arrangement, however, the structure that the proximal part of the socket member (23) assumes a cylindrical configuration entails such troublesome operations incidental to deformation that the socket member (23) is inserted from the rear of the enlarged-diameter chamber (22) to permit the peripheral walls of the substantially proximal parts of the pawl walls (23' and 23") to pass through the inside of retaining wall (21') while contracting a diameter of the pawl walls (23' and 23"), thus effecting the engagement with the retaining wall (21'). Besides, the socket member (23) is shaped to have a relatively large diameter in connection with snapping of the pawl walls (23' and 23") when connecting the pipe (P'), and hence the whole product including the connector body (21) is constructed inevitably to have a large diameter. There arises, as a matter of course, a problem in which the pipe arrangement in narrow places disadvantageously causes interference with other parts. An additional problems is that since the pawl walls (23 and 23") increase in length due to the large diameter, the resilient engaging force at the swollen wall of the pipe (P') is weakened, resulting in an ill-connected condition combined with fatigues in a long stretch of use.